Patients at a Sussex hospital have been subject to “horrendously cold” conditions which have left some feeling "uncomfortable", one man has claimed.
Alex Lenkei, 78, has been on the Acute Cardiac Ward at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester since last Thursday (October 16).
However, when being admitted to the hospital Mr Lenkei had not been prepared for cold temperatures.
In fact, the situation got so bad that Mr Lenkei staged his own protest, drawing a sign saying "Cardiology ward: I am cold!".
He explained: “It’s horrendously cold and all the patients have been given extra sheets.
“Nothing seems to be getting done about it."
Mr Lenkei, a former heating and air conditioning engineer, said he was told by senior staff that there had been an ongoing issue with the temperature on the ward for the last five years.
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He said: “I was sitting in bed yesterday [Saturday] and it was like a gale force wind going behind my neck.
“At night I pull the sheets over my head to keep warm.”
Mr Lenkei reported that many staff were also wearing jackets due to the cold temperatures.
He even offered to a head sister that he would be happy to assist the engineers with the repair, due to his knowledge in the field.
Mr Lenkei said: “I feel sorry for the staff, because they’re cold let alone the patients. They’ve complained about it too.
“At the end of the day it’s not right that it’s that cold in here.”
Mr Lenkei believes he’ll be on the ward for several more days and has called for something to be done to resolve the temperature issue.
He added: “Most of the patients are wrapped up.
“It’s not comfortable.”
A spokesperson for NHS Sussex University Hospital Trust, which runs St Richard's Hospital, said: "We’re sorry to hear that any patient experienced discomfort due to cold temperatures on our wards, and we’re glad that conditions have since improved.
"Before our central heating system is switched on ward temperatures are regulated through local air handling units. These units can be manually adjusted by our estates team at any time, based on requests from ward staff.
"If a ward feels too warm or too cold, our estates team will make the necessary adjustments to ensure a comfortable environment for patients and staff alike."
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